Shallow Breaths: The Breath of Riley (Breathe Series Prequel)

by Christy Johnson

  “And what do you plan to offer the Creator this time, huh?”

  Miles hangs his head, “I don’t know, Mary but if you have a better idea of saving our boy then let me hear it.” He snaps.

  “I don’t want him to die either, Miles, especially for some girl we have never even met but baby, what if this is just out of our control?”

  Miles faces his wife, snarling at her, “What are you saying? That – that I should just give up on my boy!?” He points to his chest, signifying that he wasn’t ready to give up yet.

  “He is my son, too! I’m here for him every day – day in and day out, I’ve been here since you started this stupid quest. Since the night, you had the visions of him dying.”

  “You don’t know how it feels! To watch your child, die repeatedly! To have to hold him as he dies – watching him tell that girl that it was worth it for her! YOU DON’T KNOW!” He shouts, tears streaming down his face.

  “Mom, is everything okay?” I crack open my parents’ room door. Dad wipes his face. “Dad? When did you –”

  “Come here, son.” He says, his arms stretched out to me. I walk over to him, embracing him. “I’ve missed you so much.” He says but the connection between us had broken some time ago; I didn’t feel as strongly about him being my father anymore.

  “Good to see you.” I respond, pulling away from him. His thick mustache connects to his beard, which is untamed. His green eyes studying mine; the bags underneath them were protruding more. His thin lips pressed into a line; he didn’t understand my reasoning for not being enthused to see him.

  “Uh, son, could I talk to you for a minute?” He asks, his eyes drifting over to mom. I knew something was wrong when mom looked down and away from me.

  “What is it?”

  “You can’t find that girl, son.” His demand spills out of him as if he had no other way of starting off the conversation.

  “What girl?” I try to play it off, pretending to know nothing of his rantings with mom.

  “Nora!” He snaps. His eyes widen as his hands stretch out to me in frustration. “You cannot find her! Leave her be!” He touches my arm but I snatch away, scowling at him.

  “Why did you tell him, mom?” I turn to her but she doesn’t look at me. She’s afraid to see the heartbreak on my face.

  “Riley, there are things you don’t know about this universe – things I never wanted you to learn about.” Dad continues.

  “What!? We’re talking about my life here and you just can’t decide what I should and shouldn’t know; who I should and shouldn’t find or be with? Who are you to tell me no?”

  “I am your father!” His voice booms throughout the house, shaking the walls. “I forbid you to ever contact her! End of discussion.”

  “No –”

  “Riley?” Mom looks over to me, exasperated.

  “No, Dad. You show up after years of not being here, consistently, and now you think you can be a dad to me? Screw this! I’m going to find her. I have to.”

  “Riley, take that back!” Mom screeches.

  ‘Riley?” I turn away from them, ignoring him as he calls out my name.

  5 tranquility

  There’s a yearning feeling deep down inside of me, something burning in my soul. I can’t describe it but it’s there, telling me to find her, telling me that I can’t live without her, although, I don’t know exactly who she is. The image of her transgresses its way into my brain; it’s vague but I know it could only be her – her long black hair, full, pink lips, and deep brown eyes. I shiver. Who are you? I had to know.

  I grip the steering wheel tighter, stopping at the blinking red light in front of me. Infuriated still with my father, I slam my hand into the wheel, showing my fury. I look to the lane right of me to see if anyone was watching me give my wheel a good pounding but no one was there. I look to the left side, widening my eyes. Reality breaks. My heart pumps admiration rather than blood when I notice her. Her head bobbing to music she’s playing in her car. She flips the mirror downward to examine her lips, rubbing the two together. She parts her lips to lip sing along with some awful woman bellowing out her speakers. I want to say she felt my eyes on her, somehow, she felt a connection between us as she glances over to meet my gaze. I hold my hand up to wave but she panics and mashes the gas, slamming into the car in front of her. Shit! I jump out of my truck and run over to her, yanking her door open to pull her out.

  She lies limp in my arms and I rub her face gently, “Miss.” I knew her name but I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to even tell her that I did. ‘Miss’ would have to do. “Come on, open your eyes.” She wasn’t even injured. I was sure she was just embarrassed at the fact that she hit the poor guy in the back. She still lies there, flaccid in my arms, sort of snuggling up to me. I look around to see everyone huddled around us, wanting to know if she was going to live. It was just a fender bender. “Could someone please ring the buzzer for help?” I ask, politely. Someone nods, hustling over to the buzzer, ringing it. I look back down at her to see her eyelids twitching, almost as if she was going into another dimension. “Hey, stay with me. C’mon, open your eyes… for me.” I whisper.

  “Someone’s on the way.” A man rushes over to tell me.

  “Thank you.”

  “Uhhh!” She exclaims, sitting up from my lap slowly. With her eyes closed tightly, she rubs the back of her neck. Her eyes open and I notice her long lashes, curling upward. Her lips smooth and outlined with a small hint of color; burgundy, I guess it was. Her hair tied into a bun at the nape of her neck. It was a little frenzied from the fender bender but she was still immaculately beautiful. Her lips curl to the side of her face, showing her pain. I watch her gradually, wanting to dive in and take her away with me. Run away with me. I wanted to say. She finally turns her attention to me, widening her eyes. “Who are you?” She asks the anomalous question instead of saying the obvious, “thank you”.

  “I’m, uh, the guy who pulled you out of the car.” I couldn’t dare spill out who I really was, who I would soon become to her.

  “No, who are you?” She asks again. “I’ve seen you before.” She squints, trying to make out where she had seen me but the truth was, she hasn’t in person. I’ve always been in her dreams the way she has been in mine.

  “I’m just Riley.”

  She smiles, “Riley. I love that name.”

  I smirk, afraid to speak. What was next for us? I proceed to stand from the ground, pressing my palms into the concrete to force myself up. Once I’m standing, I hold out my hand to her to pull her up. She slips her small hand into mine, gasping at our touch, closing her eyes. Nora. I assume she sees the unlived memories between us.

  “Riley?” She whispers with her eyes still closed. “I know you.”

  I pull her up, bringing her into my chest. “I know you too.” I say.

  *****

  “So you’re going to pay for the damage, right?” I ask, watching her smile as she’s licking her fingers from the ice cream.

  “Of course, I will.” She says. “What kind of person do you think I am?” Still smirking, miraculously. She’s amazing – better than the girl I met in my dreams.

  “Mm.” I grin.

  “What?” She exclaims, sinking her teeth into the frostbitten ice cream.

  “Nothing, I – I just don’t see how that ice cream doesn’t bother your teeth. That’s all.” I look down at my melting cream, licking the droplets before they could fall then looking back up to her, noticing her sunken in expression. “What is it?” I ask, serious this time.

  “Nothing. Nothing.”

  “C’mon, you know I know you now. Well, sort of. I know the you from my dreams.” I smirk, but it was the truth. Somehow the mystical connection brought me to know who she really was – well, most of her.

  “There are still some things you don’t know about me and truthfully, I prefer you not to know.” She looks away from me, afraid I would judge her.
<
br />   “But how can I judge who you are?” I ask, almost reading her mind. Her eyes flicker back up to mine.

  “You don’t know all of me.” Her breathing parts, escaping her lungs, reaching the outside of her lips. The smell of vanilla swoons in, grapping at my nostrils.

  “But can I?” The question slipping from my lips, my tongue dancing around in my mouth to form the words. Her eyes just flicker between me and the smooth, metal table.

  “Unfortunately, no.” Her response ripping my being from my body. I look away from her, afraid to speak another word. “But you can know some of me.” Her voice, compromising.

  “I’d rather have some than none.” I look back into her deep, brown eyes and she smiles, leaving my body breathless.

  6 just for tonight

  Several months later

  LUKE

  “Have you heard?” The old man approaches the bar, shouting into Luke’s ear.

  “Heard what!?” Luke snaps back, whipping his head around to glare at the man.

  “The Chosen do exist.” He whispers this time.

  “How do you know that, Old Man?”

  “Well, it’s been going around. Charlie told Maggie, Maggie told Sarah and well, you know what happened then.”

  “Yea, you ignorant fool. You went around telling everyone about the Chosen.” Luke turns back to his beer, gulping it down. “Do me a favor?” He says, standing from the bar, throwing on his jacket. “Keep your mouth shut about that information.”

  The old man glares at Luke. “And who are you to tell me?” Luke smirks then throws his forearm into the old man’s neck, smashing him into a wall. “Alright, you got it.” He groans out.

  “Yea – good.” Luke smiles, letting the man loose and walking out of the door.

  “So what do you know about Chosen?” A man in the shadows asks. Luke stops walking, positioning himself to face the man in the darkness.

  “Come out and we can talk.”

  “No, we’ll talk now.” The mysterious man squawks.

  “Why would I tell any information to a man who lurks in the shadows?” He teases.

  “Mm, let’s see why you should cooperate.” Luke sees the man’s foot peek out from the shadows. His black shoe stomps into the ground, cracking the concrete. Luke spreads his arms out, trying to keep his balance as darkness rises up through the cracks of the ground, swirling around Luke, entrapping him.

  “Let me go!” He screams as the darkness wraps tighter around his chunky body.

  “Not until you tell me who you’re after first, Eskoji.” The man’s lips surface from the darkness. He parts them to flash Luke an evil smile.

  “Okay, what do you want to know?”

  *****

  RILEY

  “Just for tonight?” I beg. I needed her to stay tonight.

  “I – I can’t but thanks for the offer though.” She kisses my cheek then heads over to her car. I stand there, watching her slide into her car and driving away.

  I walk into my house, closing the door behind me. Mom is at work and dad is off being his usual absent self.

  “Riley.” A stale voice fills the room. I turn around to see a tall man sitting in the dining room, waiting for my arrival.

  “How did you get in here?”

  “Your mom let me in before she left for work. I told her that I was a recruiter from an academy you’ve been wanting to get admitted into.” He smirks, looking down at his nails.

  “But my mom wouldn’t just leave you in here.”

  “You’re right. Kendra?” A small woman comes from around the corner, her knife at my mother’s jugular. I stagger closer to them. “No, son back away.”

  I stop, “Please, just don’t hurt her.” I plead. “I’ll give you whatever you want.”

  “Mm, we were hoping you would say that. In that case, we’ll take the girl.”

  “Girl?”

  “Nora Jacobs – the pretty, dark haired girl out there.” He points to the window where Nora had come back into the driveway. She steps foot out of her car. Nora, no. I desperately wanted to shout out to her. She gets out of the car, closing the door then walking over to my home. Stay away, Nora. Go home. “Do you know who she is, son?” He sneers. The doorbell rings. Shit. “She is who we are all looking for. She is supposed to be Chosen.”

  “Riley!? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to leave like that.” She muffles through the door. “Riley?”

  “Go away, Nora!” I scream back quickly before the man could rush over to the door, yanking her into the house.

  “Why in the hell would you say that?” He jumps up, coming over to me, putting a gun to my head. “Tell her to come in.”

  “Riley? What’s going on with you?” She asks.

  “I –”

  “I swear I will kill you if you send her away. Invite her in.” His hot breath on my ear, his voice digging deeper into my hearing. I don’t speak. “Say something!” He nudges me in my back and I grunt.

  “Riley?” Nora peers into the window.

  “Nora, no!” I scream as the man points the gun to the window, firing off. Glass shatters everywhere. “Nora!” I scream again.

  “Come out, Little Miss Nora or I’ll be forced to kill them both!” He screeches, still pointing the gun to the broken glass window.

  “What do you want!?” Nora screams.

  “It’s simple, really. We only want what you possess.”

  “And what’s that?” She screams back.

  “Just your powers – that’s all.” He smiles. “Now c’mon out before your boyfriend and his mother dies from your selfishness.”

  “Let his mother go then I’ll come in.” She says, compromising.

  “Hm, well I guess that much wouldn’t hurt. I’m sure that’s one thing we can offer since we are planning to take your most prized possession.”

  “Just send her out or the deal is off!” She screams back at him.

  “Kendra!” He motions for her to let my mother go. She looks over to me, her eyes filled with tears.

  “I love you, son.” She smiles.

  “I love you, mom.” I say back as this would probably be my last time seeing her. She reaches the door, slowly wrapping her fingers around the cold knob, swinging open the door to let herself out in the dark of the night but before she could step foot outside, she grunts, letting pain escape her lips.

  “Mom?”

  She doesn’t respond. She just turns to face me, a knife sticking out of her chest. “MOM! No, MOM!” I screech. My knees smash into the floor. “Please, no!” Mom falls into the floor and I crawl over to her, holding her onto my lap. She looks up at me, mumbling. Blood slips from her mouth as her last breath escapes her body. I look to the door to see another tall man gleaming down at us.

  “What deal were you making?” He asks the pointy nosed man, smiling.

  “The deal’s off.” Nora climbs on the man’s back, gripping his head back, slashing his jugular with a blade. Blood gushes out of his neck. I shield my face from his leakage.

  “NO!” A short woman screeches.

  “Get down!” Nora shouts out to me. I duck, covering my face. Next thing I knew, everything had gone black.

  7 Illegitimacy

  LUKE

  “Who is the Chosen you are after?” The man in the shadows asks.

  “I’ve been told Riley Pemberton is the Chosen. I need to know how to summon the Creator. He has all the answers.”

  “That power is given to very little people, Luke. You, of all people, should know that. You’re capable of more than you think.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He smirks, “I mean I have inherited a lot from you.”

  “What?” Luke steps closer into the darkness to see the face of the shadowed man but the leeching malevolence grips at him again, warning him to stay put.

  “I’m your illegitimate child, Luke.” The truth couldn’t have been more obvious, more disturbin
g.

  “My child?”

  “I don’t have to respond to that, either you believe me or you don’t. your choice.”

  “Well, could I at least see your face, son?”

  “No. It’s not time but I can promise you that one day, you will know me – fear me.” He laughs vindictively. “Good luck summoning the Creator.”

  “Wait, son, I never meant to –”

  “Save it, Luke!” His smile gleams into the twinge of light again. Luke gets a small glimpse of his beard – red and fuzzy, short enough to just be considered as a peach fuzz. “While you’re summoning the Creator, I will be claiming your Chosen, sucking the powers from his very body.” He laughs again, disappearing into the night.

  Luke screams. “CREATOR!” He screeches again, hoping the Creator would hear his small cries. “CREATOR! CREATOR! CREATOR!” He continues to scream.

  The sky parts and a bright light shines through to Keuria. A figure, none of which can be explained, seeps down from the sky. Luke falls to the ground, shielding his eyes. “Luke.” A voice booms. He uncovers his eyes, looking up to face the bright figure. “I am your Creator – why hast thou summon me?”

  Luke stands to his feet, his legs shaking with fear. “I – I made a mistake, your grace.” He begins, fiddling with his fingers.

  “And that is?” The Creator says, already knowing his transgressions but is willing to hear him out anyway.

  “I basically killed my boy – Devin. I – I waged his life for Chosen powers that I was unsure existed.”

  “Why?” The Creator asks, curious.

  “Greed.” It only took one word, one confession to have him break down. His heart still heavy, he drops down to the ground. “What can I do?” He asks.

  “Make the right choice.” The Creator handing Luke free will to make the right decision. “Do what you think is the right thing to do.”